Twisted Souls
by SunLight1
Summary: AU: The Brown's move to Everwood a year earlier, before Colin's accident. A/E [Chapter 7: So Long, Romeo is up! Please R/R :) ]
1. Mystery Mondays

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: OK, well there's a few things I want to explain before I start this.  One being that, this is basically an AU story in which Ephram's mother still dies in a car accident, and the Brown's still move to Everwood, only it happens a year earlier. . . before Colin's accident.  Also, I know some people don't like Amy, and while I know she has at some points been "un-nice" to Ephram, I personally just think she's dealing with a lot.  Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I like Amy, and this will eventually end up being an A/E story.  Lastly, I want to explain how all the chapters will be written.  They're gonna alternate between Amy and Ephram's point of view, each beginning with a journal entry.  Oh, and one other thing.  This is my first Everwood fic, and if by some chance there are really obvious inconsistencies between the show and my story, don't hesitate to let me know!  Phew! Now that that's done .... on with the story!

Twisted Souls

_Circumstance and Situation can't change destiny's desire. . ._

Chapter One: Mystery Monday

~Amy~

                                                                                                            September 9, 2001

_            Guess what?  I actually have something considerably significant to write about tonight.  Shocking, huh?  I know how boring my entries have been lately.  It's not my fault . . . I mean how often does anything overly interesting happen in Everwood, anyway?  Still, I know it must have bored you to death.  Then again, probably not considering that your just a journal and have no thoughts and therefore could not be bored . . . come to think of it you couldn't die either.  Yikes, but I've gotten off track.  I seem to do that a lot.  Colin's always telling me how absent minded I can be . . . I never listened to him but now I'm starting to wonder.  Not that I would ever admit it to him anyway : ).  But look at me, there I go again!_

_            Okay so I'll get to the point now.  Well, here it is.  The student body of Everwood High is now officially up from 321 to 322.  Yep, that's right, a new student arrived just today.  His name is Ephram Brown.  Weird name, huh?  Well actually, everything about this kid is kinda unusual to be honest ... not in a bad way necessarily though. . . just different.  He's from the city . . . Chicago or San Francisco or New York, I can't really remember.  He's really quiet, sorta the loner type I think.  The rumor is that he was involved in some sort of voodoo cult or something back where he came from, and his parents, desperate to save his soul from the demons of the underworld, moved him here.  I seriously doubt that that's true.  Kids can be so cruel.  Colin doesn't like him.  Neither does my brother.  I don't know how they can come to that conclusion considering they barely even know the poor kid ... boys.  They said he was a "freak".  I don't know ... to me he just seemed ... well, kind of sad._

_*****_

Amy Abbot tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder and headed down the hallway towards her locker.  She was surprised when she got to her locker and found her friend Kayla waiting there for her.

            "Kayla, wow . . . there's still five minutes until the bell rings.  What are you doing here?"

            "Haha Amy," Kayla said, feigning annoyance, "I'm aware of what time it is.  I'm actually here to update you on the latest happenings."

            "Latest happenings?  Since when do we have 'latest happenings'_?" _Amy asked suspiciously, arching her perfectly shaped eyebrow.

            Kayla rolled her eyes, "Since last night.  Apparently Everwood High's getting a new student."

            "Really?" Amy asked feeling a jitter of excitement," Wait ... how do you know this?"

            "Amy, Amy . . . I know everything," Kayla said with a playful grin.__

_            "_No, you don't_._  Nowspill it - how did you find out?"

            "Well Paige called me last night, and apparently she heard it from Robyn Beecher who heard from Liz .. err I don't know what her last name is and I don't know who she found out from.  But any way you look at it, we have a new freshmen boy in our class," Kayla finished triumphantly. 

            "Boy?"

            Kayla just grinned.

*****

            "Kayla, where are we going? The bells going to ring in like 5 seconds," Amy muttered as she followed her friend down the hallway. "Ugh, make that 1 second," she said when the bell rang, right on cue.

            "Relax, it's just the first bell, we still have 5 minutes.  We're gonna go get a glimpse of the new kid."

            "And how do you propose we do that?"

            "Well, it my calculations are correct, he should be at his locker right over . . . " she paused as they rounded a corner, "there!"

            Sure enough, there was an unfamiliar boy shoving books into his locker right where Kayla had pointed.

            "Impressive," Amy said with a grin.

            "I try."

            "Well what do you think, Is he Robbie-replacing material?"  Amy asked, referring to Kayla's recently dumped boyfriend.

            Kayla wrinkled her nose and she, rather obviously, checked the boy out.

            "I'm thinking no . . . what a disappointment."

            "Kayla!" Amy whispered harshly, "don't be so mean.  Besides, he's not so bad."

            "Amy, did you miss what he's wearing?  Black is so out.  This boy's obviously a city nut job.  I think you've been with Colin so long it's clouding your judgement on other guys.  C'mon let's go"

            "Hey, not so fast.  It's the kid's first day.  I'm going to go talk to him."

            Kayla rolled her eyes, "The ever amicable Amy Abbot.  Suit yourself, I'll see you in home room."  With that Kayla, headed off down the hall.

            Amy briefly considered following her, but noticing the confused look on the new kid's face, she changed her mind.  Putting a smile on her face, she strode over to where the dark haired boy was standing by his locker.

            "Hi, I'm Amy Abbot.  You're new here?"

            "Word travels fast around here, huh"

            "What do you mean?"

            "You're the 6th person to ask me if I was new here in a matter of 10 minutes."

            "Well, you do stand out.  We don't get a lot of new people around here, and since there's so few to begin with ... well you get the point," Amy forced herself to stop rambling.

            The boy just shrugged.

            "So, what's your name?"

            "Why Amy, I see you've met Ephram Brown,"  A deep voice said from behind her.

            "Colin! You scared me," Amy said, turning around and playfully punching her boyfriend in the arm.

            Colin smirked.

            "So um, Ephram is it?"

            The boy nodded, looking between Amy and Colin, appearing slightly confused.

            "You know Colin?"

            Ephram opened his mouth but was cut off by Colin.  "Actually he doesn't, but he will.  Just got back from the main office and apparently Mr. Brown and I have identical schedules, and being the well liked student that I am, I have been given the responsibility of showing Ephram here, around school today."  

            Amy noticed the devious grin on Colin's face and was about to remark when the second bell rang.

            "Dammit, that's my third tardy!  Mrs. Lowes is gonna kill me!" Colin cursed.  He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on Amy's lips, "See-ya at lunch Amy."  With that he grabbed Ephram Brown's hand and started pulling him down the hall towards the science lab, all the while talking about how there really shouldn't be a rule that says with every three tardies you get a detention, because you're bound to have more than three. 

            "Poor kid," Amy muttered.

*****

            It was finally lunch, and Amy couldn't have been any happier.  She'd had a rough day.  First she got slammed with a major research summer-reading project in English, quickly followed by an impossible pop quiz in geometry.  Her eyes scanned the cafeteria, looking for her friends.  She jumped slightly when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist.  Half-turning, she wasn't surprised to find Colin grinning back at her.

            "Hey," she said, leaning forward and kissing him.

            "Hey yourself," he returned.  The two headed set their bags down and headed towards the lunch line. 

 "How's your day going?" he asked once they were in line.

            "Eh, it's actually been pretty rough, and judging by the smell in here I don't think it's going to get any better.  I hate Mystery Mondays."

            "You and me both.  We really should start that Mystery Monday Hate Club.  I think it would go over big.  I mean we could have t-shirts and name tags with little pictures of people's dead faces on them-" 

            "Only If I get to the president."

            "Never! You always get to be the president of everything!  Nope, you'll just have to settle for the Mystery Monday Hate Club vice president.  I'm sure you'll get over it."

            Amy rolled her eyes, "Hey, where's the new kid your supposed to be showing around?"

            Colin's smile grew larger, "In History"

            Amy was confused, "I thought you had exact same schedules . . . "

            "We do, but I don't think he quite understood the whole first lunch second lunch thing."  At Everwood High whether of not you had first or second lunch depended on your fifth period teacher.  If your fifth period teacher had first lunch, then you went to lunch, then to class.  If your fifth period teacher had second lunch, then you went to class then lunch.  

            "What are you talking about," Amy asked suspiciously.

            "I told him I was going to the use the little boys room and that I would meet him in Mr. Dunn's room.  I of course preceded to go on to lunch."

            "Oh Colin. . ." Amy shook her head, "Won't he notice when nobody else shows up?"

            "Probably not, the kid's not too bright."

            "Colin!"

            "I don't know.  I guess he'll figure it out eventually."

            "And miss half his lunch!  This is not the way to treat a new student, dear."

            "Well, _dear_, I guess I just have my opinion's on how to make someone feel welcome."

Amy continued to frown.

            "C'mon Amy . . . the kid's a freak.  He's barely said a word all day.  I heard that he was in some voodoo cult back in New York and he sold his soul to the devil."

            "Colin, that's ridiculous."

            "Hey, if you had spent the whole morning with this kid you might be thinking differently."  

            Amy just shook her head, "You're the evil one here," she said with a grin.

            "You know you love me.  C'mon, let's go check see what this Monday's Mystery is."

So what do ya'll think?  This is my first Everwood fic, so I'd would just love some feedback (wink, wink) : )


	2. KICK ME signs and such

Chapter 2: KICK ME Signs and Such

~Ephram~

                                                                                                September 16, 2001

            _Wow, I can't believe I'm still writing in this thing.  I mean, as much as it sucks, I'm now In Everwood, Colorado, just about as far away from New York as I could possibly get, and therefore I'll never have to see Mrs. Young (or Mrs. Old as we all liked to call her), or listen to one of her boring English lectures ever again.  Which generally means that I don't exactly have to continue doing her stupid assignment either. But yet look at me, still writing in you.  I guess I'm as big a loser as they say I am at my new school.  I mean, what kind of dork writes in a journal every day for the hell of it, anyway?  Oh well, I guess everyone needs someone to talk to.  And  I can't talk to my mother because she's dead, I can't talk to my sister because she's too young, I can't talk to my grandparents because they're in New York, I can't talk to my friends because I don't have any, and I can't talk to my Dad because as far as I'm concerned, I don't have a father either.  So congratulations Journal, you've gone from a pain in the ass assignment to my best friend._

_            So anyway, here I am starting my second week at Everwood High.  And let me tell you, it sucks even worse than I had been expecting, which is saying a lot.  Not only is the town small, uncivilized, and the capital of the middle of nowhere, it's also full of a bunch of idiotic assholes.  That jerk Colin that "showed me around school" last Monday, and his friend Bright (who by the way is even stupider than Colin. Trust me, if there was a prize biggest head and the smallest brain, this guy would win it)_, _have__ apparently decided to devote all their free time to making my life miserable._  _Luckily for me, they suck at it.  What they just don't get, is that I don't care.  As much shit that has happened to me in the past couple of months, missing lunch or having my lock switched or whatever, doesn't exactly rate high on my list of priorities. I don't really care if these people like me or not, because I sure as hell don't like them.  Anyway, their big joke today was screwing with my chair in English class so it collapsed when I sat down . . . hilarious, huh?  Oh well, one good thing came out of it.  My teacher decided to move me from standard English to the honors class.  She said I would be "more suited in honors".  I think she just didn't want to deal with Colin and Bright playing "jokes" on me . . ._

***** 

            Ephram glanced in the mirror and wished he hadn't bothered.  He looked like death.  His hair was in a wild disarray and circles shadowed his eyes, the result of yet another night of tossing and turning.  Ephram hadn't been able to sleep since his mother's accident . . . and when he did his dreams were haunted with nightmares.  This was not something he had told anyone, and he certainly didn't intend to.  Not that there was really anyone he could tell anyway.

            The sun was pouring through his windows and casting its cheery glow throughout his room.  It seemed to taunt Ephram with the reminder that the rest of the world was still turning, filled with happiness and joy and hope . . . and that it had left him behind.

            Deciding that he had wasted too much time feeling sorry for himself, he quickly got dressed, combed his hair, brushed his teeth, grabbed his bag, and headed out into the kitchen.  The distinct aroma of burnt waffles met his nose, making him want to gag.  Throwing his bag down by the counter, he proceeded to head to the pantry in search of a pop tart.  His father and little sister were seated at the kitchen table, eating "breakfast".

            "Ephram, don't you want some waffles?" Andy Brown asked in a bright voice.

            Ephram didn't even glance at his father as he opened the pop tart and picked up his bag again.  As he was headed for the door he glanced over his shoulder and shot, "Being in the same room with you for more than several seconds at a time makes me sick enough.  I'd just assume not make it worse."

*****

            Ephram headed out of homeroom with a wary glance at Colin Hart and Bright Abbot.  They were snickering and whispering and pointing . . . and it was all directed at him.  He would have thought they would have gotten tired of "picking on the new kid" by now.  They had really out done themselves last week.  He sighed, and headed down the hall towards the English classroom.  He briefly wondered if they had stuck one of those "KICK ME" signs on his back.  He wouldn't have put it past them.  They had already shown their impressive level of maturity last week . . . impressively low that is.

            Ephram entered the English classroom and headed towards his usual seat in the back row.  Throwing his bag on the ground he sat down in his seat with growing frustration.  He knew something was up . . . Bright had followed Colin to the English room and they were both standing by the door staring at him expectantly.  He wished that they would go ahead and do whatever they had planned.

            His wish came true. Several seconds after he had had that thought he felt his chair give out and collapse to the ground.  He hit the floor hard and felt the wind get knocked out of him.  His heavy English Lit textbook came toppling off the desktop and hit him square in the head.

            "_Shit_," he cursed under his breath.  He stood up and rubbed the growing knot on his head.  He shot a withering stare at the two blockheads laughing hysterically in the doorway.  The look on Colin's face was priceless.  He looked like he had just been granted an early Christmas present.   Bright was turning red from laughing so hard. . . Ephram sincerely hoped he choked.  

            "Oh boys! What next!"  Miss Lee cried running to the back of the room.  Miss Lee was a very pretty, very young, first year teacher.  She was apparently very smart, and knew a lot about English, but it didn't do her any good because she didn't have any control over her students.  

            "I'm sorry . . . Miss Lee . . .  just couldn't . . . help . . . it," Colin managed between laughs.

            "Boys, your behavior is inexcusable.  I thought we had settled this last week, but apparently I was mistaken.  You're both going to be serving detention for the rest of this week . . . or longer if I don't see some remorse!"

            "Are we going to be serving this detention with you Miss Lee?"  Bright asked hopefully, eyeing the pretty teacher suggestively.

            Colin chuckled with appreciation as Miss Lee's cheeks lit up with embarrassment.  

            "Honestly boys!  I know that both of you are really sweet when it comes down to it . . . I just don't know what gets into you!  No, you will not be serving detention with me, You'll be serving it with Mr. Foz," she said, referring to the hairy old Physics teacher.

            Both boys groaned.  Bright looked like he was about to protest, but Miss Lee quickly turned her back on him, signaling that their conversation was over.  Bright slapped Colin on the back and headed out towards his next class.  Colin went and took his respective seat on the other side of the room.

            Miss Lee then turned her pretty green eyes onto Ephram, "Are you okay, dear?" she asked.  Her voice was filled with sympathy . . . it made Ephram want to scream.

            "Fine," he answered curtly.

            "Umm, Ephram, do you think I could talk to you outside?"

            Ephram sighed and headed towards the door.  His guess was that Miss Lee had just heard about his mother and was going to give him the whole "If you ever want to talk about it" speech.  He had already gotten that from four other teachers in the past week.  He was wrong.

            "Ephram, dear, I wanted to talk to you about moving to an honors English class.  I realize that you were in a standard level course back in New York, but sometimes the curriculums can vary.  You seem to be well ahead of the rest of the class, and that's why I think you would be more suited in honors.  Luckily Mr. McLeod's Honors class is the same period as this one, so it will work with your schedule perfectly.  So, what do you say?"

            Ephram was actually very confused.  They hadn't done anything in the past week, save for a few reading assignments and lecture discussions, which he hadn't participated in.  No tests, no quizzes, no essays, no collected homework assignments . . . nothing that could have made Miss Lee believe he was smarter than everybody else in his class.  Ephram sighed, deciding this move was most likely the result of Colin's bad conduct.  Poor Miss Lee apparently couldn't handle it, and had therefore decided to just get rid of the root of the problem.  He briefly considered questioning her about it, but then changed his mind.  The woman had enough problems, if he could save her some trouble, then why not.  He really didn't care which English class he was in, anyway.

            "Sure, why not."

*****

            Ephram cautiously opened the door to Mr. McLeod's room.  The room was chaotic and noisy with excited chatter.  All the desks were pulled off into little groups and everyone was busy at work . . . so no one noticed him.  He spotted Mr. McLeod sitting in his desk across the room.  Ephram weaved his way through the throng of desks and approached the man.  Mr.  McLeod was probably in his early thirties.  He had a friendly face with rosy cheeks and bright blue eyes.  He was one of the more popular teachers at Everwood High.

            "Can I help you, sir?"  Mr. McLeod asked.

            "Umm, yes, Miss Lee sent me . . . here," he finished uncomfortably, handing Mr. McLeod the note Miss Lee had sent with him.

            Mr. McLeod scanned the note over quickly and looked back at Ephram with a smile, "Ahh, Mr. Brown.  Yes, Miss Lee had mentioned she might be sending you to me last week.  Well, right now the kids are busy at work on Summer Reading project.  All of the honors level students were required to read _The Lord of the Flies_ this summer, and now they're working on skits to help demonstrate the symbolism in the story.  Now, I'm aware that you probably haven't _Lord of the Flies_, and so I'll probably just give you an alterative assignment on whatever book you _did_ read over the summer -"

            "Actually, Mr. McLeod, I have read that book.  It was one of the required books for my school in New York also."

            "Splendid!" he exclaimed, "In that case, I suppose that all you need to do is find a group that has room for you!"

            "Ephram can be in our group," a voice said from behind them, "I think he'll make a much better Simon in our skit that Maria anyway."

            Ephram turned around and found himself face to face with Amy Abbot.  The beautiful girl that had caused his heart to stop beating when she had introduced herself a week ago.  A frown quickly crossed his face when he remembered that Amy was also Bright's sister, and most likely Colin's girlfriend, considering the fact that he had saw them kiss that first day.  He wondered if she was as big a jerk as Colin and Bright.  She probably only wanted him in her group so she could make fun of him too . . . but no, she seemed so genuinely kind.  And she was so pretty . . .

            "Wonderful, Amy, Wonderful," Mr. McLeod said, breaking into Ephram's thoughts, "Well alright you two, back to work!"

            "Come on Ephram, we're working over here," Amy said, leading him over to her group.  She sat down next to a girl with sandy blonde hair, and motioned for him to take the seat next to her.  "Ephram, this is Maria, Paige, and Jena," Amy introduced the girls clockwise around the group.

            "Interesting," he said," A skit on _Lord of the Flies_, a book that contains only male characters, presented entirely by girls."

            Amy giggled, "Well, why do you think we asked you to be in our group in the first place?"  The pretty sparkle in her eyes indicated that she was only joking.

            Surprisingly, Ephram found himself smiling back.

Hmm, so what do you guys think?  If you have any comments, I would just love to hear!  *grins* I won't know if you don't tell me~!!!~

             __


	3. Ballet is for Boys Too

Chapter Three: Ballet is for Boys Too

~Amy~

                                                                                                            September 21, 2001

            _You know, I never really know how to start these journal entries.  I mean, what am I supposed to say? "Dear Diary" sounds way to lame and always makes me think of that stupid Britney Spears song ... besides you're not a diary, you're a journal, so it wouldn't work anyway.  I've got an idea ... how bout we (or I, or whatever) make up some sort of code that I always use when I start one of these.  I know, I'll name you Patrick.  Well, Patrick, I probably shouldn't tell you this, but you're named after a starfish.  Sorry, but someone left SpongeBob SpuarePants on in the next room*!*_ _Don't__ worry though, I always thought Patrick was the best character._

            _Well anyway, today was interesting.  You know how I told you about that super annoying - counts for 25% of your first quarter grade - English project?  Well it's due this Monday and there was no way we were going to finish it in class, so I suggested that everyone come over to my house today to work on it. Well everyone showed up, including Ephram Brown.  Remember how I told you that I invited him to be in our group?  It's weird, I mean, I originally just invited him because he was new and lonely and I felt bad for him.  But now ... well I don't know.  I mean, after all the things Colin and Bright said about him ... I was expecting something awful . . . but Ephram is well . . . nice, and sweet.  And cute.  Whoa, I did not just say that.  Disregard that last statement.  But as I was saying, Ephram seems like someone I would like to be friends with, and he really helped me out today . . ._

*****

            Amy nervously fiddled with the hem on her sweater.  She was sitting on the floor in her living room with notes and books all around her.  Her friends would be there any minute, and she had to figure out a way to get rid of Bright.  She knew Bright would most likely stay as far away from the living room as possible . . . until he found out that Ephram was there.  Then he would most likely call Colin, cause a huge ruckus, and nothing would get done. 

            "Bright!" she yelled.

            "I'm busy!" came the reply.

            Amy didn't really feel like getting up, but this was a problem she needed to solve fast.  It was already 10 till 9:00.  She ran up the stairs and found Bright in his room.

            "What are you doing?" she asked, fighting back giggles.

            "I, uh . . . football . . . coach said that I needed to be more flexible . . ." Bright trailed off, obviously embarrassed.

            "So, you decided to borrow one of my old ballet recital tapes and pick up a few moves?"  Amy was laughing now.  The sight of her brother doing awkward plies to _Swan Lake_ was just too much.         

            "Hey, practically all the professional football players take ballet to help them become more flexible," Bright shot defensively.

            "No, I think it's great," Amy giggled, "Maybe you could come with me to ballet next week.  Leah would love it, she's had a crush on you for a while."

            "Oh God no!" Bright said quickly, "I mean, while I think it's perfectly okay for a guy to do ballet, I just wouldn't want to impose on your class."

            Amy smirked.

            "You're, uh, not going to tell anyone are you?" Bright was looking nervous now.

            "Why would it matter who I told, if it's so perfectly alright for guys to do ballet?"

            "It is! It's just . . . please, Amy?"

            Amy was about to agree when she had an idea. "I'm not so sure.  I mean, I know Colin would love to hear about this, and I've really been trying to get him to take me to see the ballet in Denver forever.  This might just be the inspiration I need to help convince him."

            "Amy, please, don't tell Colin."

            Amy smiled devilishly, "Okay, I won't tell him . . . IF you promise to stay out of the house today."

            "Why?" Bright asked suspiciously.

            "Hey, I get to make the terms of this deal.  You either agree, or Colin's going to be getting a little phone call . . ."

            "That's blackmail!"

            "It's fun, isn't it?"

            "Fine, I'll leave," Bright stood up to go, "And next time I'll make sure to lock my door . . . Jeez!"

            Amy smiled, proud or herself.  Getting rid or her brother hadn't been so difficult after all.

*****

            "Why do I have to be Piggy?" Maria complained.

            "Because, Ephram makes a better Simon, and all the other parts were taken.  Besides, you'll look cute with glasses," Amy said with a smile.  

            "And not only that," Paige threw in, "There's the fact that we're practically done with the skit so there's no changing it now anyway."

            "I know, I know, it's just that I'm going to feel so stupid doing this part in front of our whole English class.  I really hate skits . . ."

            "No you don't!" Amy said laughing, "For heavens sakes Maria, you had the lead in last years play!  You're just worried because Justin Brickly is in our English class!!"

            "And why would I care if Justin is in that class?" Maria asked, her cheeks turning pink.

            "Because you liiiiike him!" Amy, Paige, and Jena all shouted at the same time.

            "I do not!"

            "Whoa now! There is a boy in this room who is feeling more uncomfortably by the minute!" Ephram cut in, a joking smirk on his face.

            "Oh Ephram!  I forgot about you!" Amy said, grinning at him.

            "I'm hurt."

            "No! I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that I forgot . . . well I don't know what I meant . . ." Amy trailed off blushing.  She wasn't quite sure why she had had the urge to defend herself like that.

            "Hey, it's okay.  I was just kidding," Ephram said, slightly confused.

            "Right."

            The other girls looked curiously between Ephram and Amy, and Amy felt her cheeks grow hotter.  She wondered how the situation could have gotten so awkward so fast.

            "Well, umm anyway, The skits practically done, so all that's left to do now is written part on all the symbolism and junk," Amy said, trying to break the silence.

            "Umm, Amy, it's getting kind of late.  I sort of promised Eric that we could hang out this afternoon," Paige said uncomfortably.

            "Yeah, and I was going to go shopping with my sister . . ." Maria trailed off.

            "My Mom wanted me to clean my room."  This comment came from Jena.

            Amy looked disbelievingly at her friends.  "Guys, this project is due Monday!  When do you propose we finish it?"

            The three girls shrugged, looking down at their feet.

            "Ugh, never mind.  I'll just do it myself.  Have fun doing whatever it is you'll all be doing," Amy muttered.

            "Thanks Amy, you're the best!" Paige gathered her things, gave Amy a hug and rushed out the door.  The other girls were quick to follow.

            "Well this is just great," Amy said to herself, staring at the stack on notes.

            "Umm, Amy, did you forget about me again?" Ephram asked, startling Amy. 

            "Ephram! Oh, no . . . I just, well aren't you going to make up some excuse as to why you can't help me too?" she asked, suddenly hoping that he would stay.

            "Actually, I don't really have much going on this afternoon. I'll stay and help if you want me too."

            "I, uh, that would be great."

*****

            "Well, I guess that pretty much wraps things up," Amy said, hitting the PRINT button on the computer in her room.  The report was all finished, and Amy was pleased with the final product.  Ephram had turned out to be quite a help.  He actually had a lot of interesting ideas about all the symbolism and themes in a book that Amy had originally decided was stupid.

            She turned in her chair and found Ephram studying all the pictures on her shelves.

            "So, you take ballet?"

            "What? Oh, yes.  I've been taking ever since I was really little."

            "You must be pretty good."

            "Oh, not really," Amy said, blushing.

            Ephram smiled at her, making her blush increase.  Amy wondered what on earth had come over her.  If she didn't know better, she'd think she was attracted to Ephram.  But that was silly, because she was completely in love with Colin . . .

            "So, have you ever been to the ballet in Denver?  I hear they're pretty good."

            "No," Amy said frowning, "I've always wanted to go, though.  I've been trying to get Colin to take me, but you know, he's not really the ballet kinda guy."

            Now Ephram was suddenly frowning.  Amy silently cursed herself for bringing up Colin.  She knew Ephram must hate him, as mean as he had been.

            "So do you take lessons?" Amy asked, quickly trying to change the subject.

            Ephram started laughing, and Amy groaned.  She could not believe she had asked such a stupid question.  Then suddenly she remembered Bright and his ballet from that morning.  The next thing she knew, she was laughing too.  The two continued to laugh until they were both about to cry.

            Amy wiped the tears out her eyes, "I'm sorry," she giggled, "I don't know why I found that so funny.  What I meant to ask you was do you play any sports, or something like that.  I know you don't take ballet.  It was just a badly phrased question."

            Ephram smiled, "Actually, you're question wasn't completely too far off.  I do take piano lessons, or did.  I haven't really found a new teacher since I moved here from New York.  I pretty much know how to play now anyway, though."

            "That's awesome," Amy said, liking the idea of a guy playing the piano, "You'll have to play for me sometime."

            "Sure."

            A sudden silence filled the air. Amy knew Ephram should probably go home, now that all the work was done.  She didn't quite want him to leave, though, and that confused her.

            "So, uh, I guess I should probably go then," Ephram said, interrupting Amy's thoughts.  

            "Oh, yeah . . . I guess I'll walk you out," Amy said, feeling strangely disappointed.  

The two made their way down the steps and to the front door.  

            "Thanks for staying and helping today, It meant a lot," Amy said, handing Ephram his coat.  When she did, her knuckles lightly brushed his, sending a jolt down her back and causing her heart to start pounding.  _What the hell is wrong with me?,_ she thought.

            "Oh, it was no problem.  Technically it was just as much my project as it was yours."

            "Yeah, I guess you're right."

            "So I'll see-ya at school then"

            "Bye Ephram."

            "Bye Amy."

Well there ya go : ) Hope it didn't stink to much, lol!  Anyway, this will most likely be the last update before Christmas, so I just want to wish everyone a Happy Holidays!!  Lol and if you don't mind . . . reviews are much appreciated~! :)


	4. Unfamiliar Feelings

Chapter Four: Unfamiliar Feelings

~Ephram~

                                                                                                         September 28, 2002

            _You know, it seems weird not to start these entries with 'Mrs. Young - today I got up, and wished I hadn't.  Went to school, and wished I hadn't,' and so on.  It's amazing how much I've changed in the past few months.  Things that used to be important now seem stupid, and things that used to be stupid now seem important.  Life in Everwood still basically stinks.  Colin and Bright aren't messing with me as much, but that probably won't last.  I have a feeling my life is about to get a lot more complicated._

_            There's really no use beating around the bush with you, since you're not real anyway, so I might as well just come out and say it.  I think I have a crush on Amy Abbot.  Yep, a stupid, high school, teenage crush.  I guess it wouldn't be so bad, if Amy wasn't Amy.   But she is:  beautiful, funny, sweet, extremely popular, and out of my league in every way possible.  And to make matters worse, she's also the girlfriend of Mr. Colin Hart, my apparent arch enemy.  If Colin finds out I have a thing for Amy, not that I'm planning on telling anyone or anything, he will most likely beat the crap out of me, or worse.  Then again, from what she told me today, things aren't exactly going the best between her and Colin . . . Oh well, I shouldn't get my hopes up.  Even if things don't work out between her and the King of the Jerks, it's still not like she'd go after me . . .   _

*****

            Ephram felt himself being jerked awake by some nagging force.  He opened his eyes, and then re-closed them.  Reality was slow to penetrate his sleepy state.

            "Ephram! Wake up!" he vaguely heard his little sister Delia say.

            "Saturday . . . no school," me muttered, rolling over.

            "Ephram please get up . . . I'm bored."

            Realizing that his sister wasn't going to go away, that and the fact that he most likely wouldn't be able to get back to sleep anyway, Ephram sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes, "What time is it, Delia?"

            "It's almost a quarter 'till 12:00."

            "Really?" Ephram asked surprised, he usually didn't sleep that late.  

            His little sister nodded, "Ephram, I want to go to the movies."

            "Get Dad to take you," was his reply.

            "Dad's busy.  He said he had to make some 'house calls'.  He told me to get you to take me."

            "Dad's busy? What a surprise," Ephram muttered darkly, getting out of bed.  The last thing he wanted was to go see a movie, but he didn't want to disappoint his little sister.  It wasn't Delia's fault she had been cursed with a crappy father.

            "What did you want to see?" he asked reluctantly.

            The little girl grinned, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

            Ephram groaned.

*****

            Ephram and Delia made their way to the back of the line at the ticket booth.  Delia was jittering excitedly, but Ephram wasn't paying any attention to her.  He was once again struck by all the differences between Everwood and New York.  When he had gone to the movies back home, yes he still referred to NY as 'home', there had been at least 10 different box offices at each movie theater.  Here, there was just one, and barely anyone was waiting in line for it.  Ephram's thoughts were interrupted a few minutes later, when he noticed a familiar flash of long silky hair headed towards the back of the line.  He casually glanced back again, and sure enough, saw Amy Abbot standing alone in line.  Yes, she was quite alone, and she looked rather depressed.  Ephram frowned, wondering if he should go say something to her.  Amy was one of the few people who had been nice to Ephram, but he still wasn't sure if they would be categorized as "friends".  Before he changed his mind, he grabbed his sister by the hand, and headed towards the end of the line.

            "Ephram!" Delia whined,"We're going to lose out spot!"

            Ephram didn't comment.  Delia had already insisted they show up to the movie a half hour early, so they weren't at all in jeopardy of missing anything.  Not that he would have minded, considering the fact that watching _Harry Potter_ for three hours was not exactly what he had had in mind for this Saturday.

            "Amy?" he said, approaching the pretty girl.

            "Ephram, hi!" Amy said, flashing him a genuine smile.  She actually looked a little relieved, but Ephram wasn't sure what to make of that.

            "How are you?" he politely inquired.

            "Good, you?"

            "Same . . . are you here alone?" he asked, instantly regretting the question when he saw a look of sadness flashing over her face.

            "Yeah, actually, but it's no big deal."

            "Well, what are you seeing? Maybe you could sit with us," he suggested, surprised by how nervous he suddenly was, waiting to hear her response.  

            "That would be great!  I was going to see _Corky Romano_, what about you?"

            "Well, er, we were going to see _Harry Potter_, but I we could see _Corky Romano_ instead," Ephram said, not believing what he had just proposed.  Why the hell was he suddenly so anxious to see the same movie as Amy??

            "Ephram!  No we can't!" Delia whined.

            Ephram looked down at her in surprised . . . he had momentarily forgot about his little sister, actually.

            "And who are you?" Amy asked with a kind smile towards Delia.

            "I'm Delia," she responded, suddenly shy at having the older girl's full attention.

            "Oh yeah," Ephram cut in, "Sorry, Amy this is my little sister, Delia, this is Amy."

            "It's a pleasure to meet you Delia.  Actually, I've been wanting to see_ Harry Potter_ myself.  I think I'll just see that with you guys, instead."

            "Really?" Delia asked, quickly getting over her shyness, and grabbing Amy's hand, "Have you read the books?"

            "As a matter of fact I have . . ."  The two began a rather confusing conversation, concerning things which Ephram had never heard about before.  He had a feeling he was in for a long movie.

*****

            Several hours later, the three exited the movie theater.  Ephram had a headache, Delia was incessantly rambling on and on about how great the movie had been, and Amy was listening quietly, with an amused expression on her face.  Amy and Delia had hit of almost immediately, and neither one of them had said barely a word to Ephram throughout the movie.  He wasn't sure if he was happy about that or not.

            Amy suddenly turned to Ephram, "Ephram, I'm really glad I ran into you guys today.  I honestly wasn't up to watching a movie alone."  She was looking sad again.

            "Hey, I'm glad we ran into you two.  It was fun."

            Amy nodded, "Well, I guess I'd better . . ." She gestured over her shoulder.  Was it Ephram's imagination, or was she looking regretful?

            "No, Amy!  Do you have to go?  Why don't you come over to our house for a while," Delia suggested hopefully.

            "Delia, Amy doesn't want to -" Ephram began, embarrassed.

            Amy cut him off though, "Actually, I wouldn't mind coming over, if you don't mind, that is.  I really don't have anything planned for the rest of the day."

            Ephram looked over at her, surprised.  Amy Abbot wanted to spend the rest of her Saturday at his house?  Wouldn't she rather be spending it with all of her lovely, _popular_ friends?

            "What?  Oh, no I don't mind at all.  C'mon lets go."

            With that the three of them started off towards the Brown house.

*****

            It was around nine that evening, and Delia has just gone to bed.  Amy was still there.  She had spent the whole day there, including eating supper with them.  She had seemed like she was having a pretty good time, too.  Ephram was a little nervous having her over.  It wasn't like he had the best home life, in fact, his father still wasn't home.  And of course, his Mother wasn't there either.  Ephram glanced over at Amy, suddenly realizing that she probably didn't even know about his Mom. _ 'Oh well,'_ he thought_, 'If she doesn't ask, I'm certainly not going to offer it up.'_

            "Do you want to go sit outside or something?" Amy asked suddenly.

            "Oh, okay," Ephram replied, leading the way to the swing on the front porch.

            The two sat there in a companionable silence for a while, until Amy said quietly, "Thanks for letting me come over today, it meant a lot."

            "It was no problem.  You're welcome here anytime.  Besides, Delia loved you."

            "She's a sweet kid."

            "Yeah," Ephram said, nodding in agreement.

            "Actually," Amy began, almost uncertainly, "Earlier at the movies, you probably didn't notice, but I was actually kind of depressed.  I didn't exactly want to be at the movies by myself.  "

            "So why were you?" Ephram asked, hesitantly urging her to continue.

            "Well, I wanted Colin to come with me.  He's been promising to take me to that movie forever, but well, he was 'busy' yet again.  He said he wanted to hang with the boys today.  He wouldn't tell me what they were doing, though . . . it was probably something bad, anyway," she sighed, then continued, "Yeah, well we actually sort of got into a teeny fight.  I mean, it was really weird.  Colin and I, we've just always been great together.  But lately . . . things seem like there just changing.  Like he doesn't have time for me anymore.  I know, I know, it sounds incredibly melodramatic, but , well anyway, I was pretty mad when I got off the phone.  Today was the last day_ Corky Romano_ was showing, so I just decided to go myself.  I was in a really bad mood, but then I saw you and your sister.  You guys really brightened up my day," she ended with a grin.

            Ephram smiled back at her, not sure of what to say.  He wanted to tell her that he thought Colin was a jerk, but he wasn't sure she would appreciate hearing that.

            Amy, mistaking his silence, quickly said, "But I'm sorry, I'm sure the last thing you want to do is hear about my problems.  Anyway, thanks for putting up with me today, I'll see you in school."  She quickly got up to leave.

            "Amy, wait!" Ephram said, standing.

            "Yeah?"

            "You didn't get to see _Corky Romano._"

            She looked at him confused, "I know, but it's okay.  _Harry Potter_ was fine . . . "

            "But today's the last day it was showing.  The last movie is at 9:30, I'm pretty sure . . . do you want to go?"  He was breathing hard, not sure where he had found the guts to just ask her that.

             Amy started laughing, as her eyes lit up with excitement.  "It would be okay, you wouldn't mind?"

            "Not at all," he grinned.

            "Okay, let me just call my parents and tell them I'm going to be late."

            "Okay, I'll be right back."  Ephram ran inside and scribbled a quick note saying that he too, would also be late.  Ephram grabbed his coat and met Amy at the door.  Grinning at each other, the two headed off into the night, both momentarily forgetting all of their problems.

A/N : Well, what did you think? Please, review and let me know.  Also, I realize that technically Harry Potter didn't come out until November of 2001, but the only other kids movie from Fall 2001 was Monsters, Inc, and I didn't want to use that, so just bear with me.  Okay, done rambling. *hehe* Bye everybody!


	5. Listen to Your Heart

A/N: Hi everybody!  I've finally decided to update this story - *YaY* haha.  I'm sorry it took so long, but I was actually considering stopping this story all together for a while.  I had several reasons.  The most important reason was that on the show, when Colin woke up, he seemed like a pretty nice guy.  Plus, Amy started being such a jerk to Ephram that I didn't really want to continue writing a romance about the two of them.  However, after thinking it over for a bit, I've come to this conclusion.  Most likely, if Ephram had come to Everwood a year earlier, Colin _would _have been mean to him.  I mean, look how Bright treats him, and Colin and Bright are best friends.   Things are just different in the show, and that's why Colin's making an attempt to be so nice to Ephram.  Plus, Amy's been better lately, and I still think she and Ephram need to be together.  So, I'm going to continue this story.  Be warned, though, from here on out my story's going to start differing a lot from what really happened in the show.  So, with that said, on with the story!

Chapter Five: Listen to Your Heart

~Amy~

                                                                                                                     November 14, 2001

            _Oh Patrick, you'll never believe what a horrible day I've had.  I'm so tired, both physically and emotionally, all I want to do is go to sleep.  Unfortunately, I can't.  I've got so many thoughts all running through my mind, and I just can't seem to make any sense out of any of them_.  So, _I figured I'd tell you about my problems.  You're just about the only one I can think of that would be willing to listen._

_            My day started out alright.  It was the annual Fall Thaw Festival and I was super excited about spending the whole day with Colin.  He's been really busy the last few weekends, but he promised we'd spend the whole day together.  He was good to his word.  We met up at the festival and Colin was giving me his undivided attention.  I should have been thrilled.  I mean, I've been dying for Colin to pay more attention to me the last few weeks.  But yet, for some reason my heart just wasn't in it.  Colin picked up on my lack of enthusiasm, and we ended up having a horrible argument.  It was totally my fault and I felt completely rotten afterwards.  Then I ran into Ephram.  God, how I wish I hadn't run into Ephram.  He could tell I was upset and asked me if I wanted to talk about it.  I said yes.  I mean, we _have_ gotten to be pretty close these last couple of weeks . . . and I felt so lonely and depressed . . . but, oh gosh, how I wish I wouldn't have said yes.  I think I've made a mistake that just might be unfix able . . . _

*****

            Amy felt light jitters of excitement flutter through her body as she studied her reflection in the mirror.  She was wearing new jeans and one of her favorite pink sweaters.  The outfit accented her figure perfectly.  She had decided to leave her hair down, with a few strands clipped back, giving her the desired "girl-next-door" look.  She nodded with approval.  She was going to be spending the whole day with Colin at Everwood's annual Fall Thaw Festival, and she wanted to look nice.

            She was actually a little anxious.  She and Colin hadn't been spending that much time together lately, and she was really hoping that spending the day together would get some of the sparks back into their relationship.  She spritzed herself lightly with her favorite vanilla scented perfume and quickly ran down the stairs where the rest of her family was waiting.

            "Jeez, Amy, think you could have taken a little longer getting ready?" Bright asked, clearly annoyed.

            "Yes, actually I'm sure I could have," Amy said with a grin, refusing to let her brother get to her.  Nothing was going to ruin her good mood.

            "Well, thank goodness you didn't," interrupted Amy's father, Dr. Abbot, "We're already 15 minutes late.  Come on, let's get going."

            Amy nodded and followed her family out the door, fighting to keep the happy smile off her face.

            "Why are you in such a good mood, anyway?" Bright asked her, once they were seated inside the car.

            "No reason, it's just such a beautiful day," Amy said grinning at her brother.

            "Yeah right, you just can't wait to get all kissy faced with Colin."

            Amy shot her brother an exasperated glance, "If you must know, yes, I am looking forward to spending some time with _my_ boyfriend.  And don't forget what you promised me, Bright."

            "Yeah, yeah I know.  Stay away from Colin."

            "Yes, I know he's your best friend, but you get to hang out with him all the time.  Plus, you have plenty of other friends you could hang out with today.  I'm really not asking all that much -"

            "Amy, relax!" Bright interrupted her,"I'm not gonna bother you and Colin today.  You're right, I have plenty of other friends to grace with my presence.  Namely, Lisa Chapman."

            Amy just rolled her eyes.

*****

            "Hey beautiful," Amy heard a familiar voice say from behind her.

            She spun around smiling widely, "Hey Colin."

            Colin quickly leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips, smiling when he heard Amy's happy sigh of contentment.  He laced his fingers between hers, and the two set off towards the festival.

            "I've missed this," Amy said dreamily, a few seconds later.

            "Missed what?" Colin asked

            "Us . . . spending time together."

            "We spend time together. . . "

            "Not like we used to.  You're always so busy," Amy pointed out.

            "I always make time for you," Colin said.  Amy was surprised to find that he actually sounded irritated.  She wanted to disagree, but didn't want to make Colin mad.

            "Hey I know, I was just pointing out that this was nice.  I just love spending time with you, that's all," she said, trying to smooth things over.

            "Well, what can I say, I am irresistible.  And I'm all yours for today," he said, shooting a cocky smile at his girlfriend.

            "Perfect," Amy said, leaning up to kiss him.

            The two continued wandering around the festival for a while, laughing and joking.  Amy was having a great time.  This was exactly how she remembered it between she and Colin.  This was the Colin she was crazy about, the Colin she . . . 

            "Hey Amy, what's going on over there?  Don't tell me we missed the start of the pie eating contest," Colin said with a grin, breaking into Amy's thoughts.

            "Huh?" Amy said, following Colin's line of vision to where a group of people had gathered towards the center of the festival.  "Oh, I don't know.  I doubt it's the pie contest, though, they usually don't do that until later in the afternoon."

            "Well, let's go check it out," Colin said, leading Amy over to the crowd.

            Amy was completely unprepared for what she saw in the middle of the crowd.  It was a middle aged man, with a beard, who was talking to the air. He seemed to be completely unaware of the world surrounding him.  She briefly wondered if it was some kind of performance.  But then she noticed the distressed looks on the people's faces who were watching.  One woman looked close to tears.  And the man looked so sad . . . 

            "Wait a minute," Amy whispered suddenly, "Isn't that Ephram Brown's father?"

            The woman next to her looked up, "Yes, that's Dr. Brown all right, poor thing."

            "Well at least now we know why Ephram's such a freak," Colin muttered under his breath.  Amy elbowed him the ribs, but kept her attention on the woman standing next to her.

            "What's wrong with him?" she asked softly.

            "Why dear, don't you know?  He lost his wife for heaven's sake.  Now granted, most people don't go around talking to their dead spouses in public, but I suppose everyone has to deal with their grief in their own way.  I do feel bad for his poor children, though . . ."

            Amy glanced up and saw Ephram and Delia watching their father from the other side of the crowd.  Poor Delia looked terribly upset, but Ephram was watching the whole scene with an expressionless look on his face.  Everything suddenly clicked into place.  Why Ephram never talked about his family, why he always seemed so stoic and unreachable, why the Brown's had come to Everwood in the first place . . . 

            Ephram suddenly looked up and locked eyes with Amy.  His expression never changed, but his hard stare told Amy everything she needed to know.  She could almost feel his anguish.  In that moment, her heart broke.

*****

            "And so I told him, 'Well, I actually did do my homework but -' Amy?  Amy, are you even listening?" Colin asked suddenly.

            The two of the were seated next to each other on the Ferris Wheel, one of Amy's favorite attractions at the festival.  Their cart was nearing the top, and the view was fantastic.  The sun was shining brightly and there wasn't a cloud marring the clear sky.  A light breeze took the edge of the bright sun, foretelling of a coming winter.  The day was perfect, but Amy was feeling terribly cold.

            "Colin, did you know?" she asked suddenly, not looking at him.   Her gaze was focused on the figure of a young boy, sitting alone on the far side of the festival.

            "Did I know what?  What are you talking about Amy?  You've been acting really weird today."

            Amy sighed, "About Ephram's mother . . . did you know?"

            "Aw jeez, don't tell me we're back on that."

            "Colin, just tell me the truth.  Did you, or did you not know that Ephram Brown's mother died recently?"

            "Well, the teacher might have mentioned it a while ago, but I don't see why it matters. . . "

            "How can you say that!" Amy cried, finally turning to look at Colin, "How can you be so heartless?  It's bad enough that you had to make Ephram's life miserable, but to pull all that crap when you knew his mother had just died?!  What's happened to you, Colin?"

            "What are you talking about?  Nothing's happened to me.  I haven't changed. The real question is what's happened to you, Amy. Why do you even care about the Brown kid?  It's not like you even know him."

            Amy bit her lip, slightly guilty for keeping her friendship with Ephram a secret from Colin.  She had instinctively felt that if Colin had found out she was spending time with Ephram, he would have freaked.  She shook her head, "That has nothing to do with it.  This is about having some compassion.  I don't care if you don't want to be best friends with him, Colin, but for God's sake, did you have to treat him so cruelly?  Imagine what he's going through!  Think how you would feel if you're mother died!  God, I can't even imagine . . . "

            "Look, Amy, I'm sorry.  I didn't realize this was such a big deal to you.  If it will make you happen, I'll leave Brown alone.  I swear."

            Amy looked at Colin, tears in her eyes, "You really don't get it, do you?  I don't want you to leave Ephram alone for me.  I want you to leave him alone because it's the right thing to do."

            "God Amy!  I just don't get you sometimes.  What do you want from me?"

            "I want the old Colin back!" she screamed at him.

            "This is the old Colin, like it or not.  You're the one who's changed Amy - not me!" he fired back at her.

            Suddenly Amy heard a creaking noise and felt the Ferris Wheel come to a screeching halt, right as she and Colin reached the top.  The cart swung slowly in the wind and Amy peered over the side, only to see little maintenance men scurrying around down below.

            "Great," Colin muttered.

            Amy peered off into the distance, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall.  Her gaze once again fell on the lonely boy, sitting all alone.  She thought back to Colin's last words.  Maybe she was the one who had changed.  The question was . . . why?

*****

            Amy watched Colin's retreating figure disappear.  They had finally gotten the Ferris Wheel working, and once Amy and Colin had gotten off, Colin had stormed off, without so much as a farewell glance.  Amy kept her gaze downcast and began running in the other direction.  She was desperate to get away from the festival.  The laughter, the smells, the sounds, the happiness . . . it all felt as if it was choking her.

            She had almost reached the edge of the festival when she felt herself run smack into another human being.   She muttered an apology and quickly tried to continue on her way without looking up.  She felt someone grab her wrist though, and she turned back.

            "Amy what's wrong?"  Amy found herself staring into Ephram dark eyes.  The worry and concern she saw there was almost enough to make her break down and start crying.

            "Nothing," she whispered unconvincingly.  

            "Do you want to talk about it?" Ephram asked, ignoring her denial.

            Amy bit her lip, staring back at Ephram, unable to break his strong gaze.  She knew she probably wasn't in any condition to be talking about what had just happened, especially with Ephram.  She really just wanted to be alone right now . . . 

            That wasn't true.  The last thing Amy wanted to be right now was alone.  She was sad and depressed and Ephram was looking so kind and inviting. . . 

            "If you don't mind," she said softly.

            Ephram smiled at her.

*****

            Amy led Ephram down a pretty nature path, away from the happy chaos of the festival.  The two walked in silence until Amy reached a clearing.  She walked to the edge of the clearing and stood at the foot of an overview, which looked down upon the festival.  The view was picturesque, the atmosphere soft and comforting.

            She glanced back at Ephram, unable to hide the tears in her eyes.  Ephram sat down on a large boulder and motioned Amy to come sit next to him.  

            "So what happened," he prompted her gently, once she was seated nest to him.

            "I got into a fight with Colin," she said staring at her feet.   She glanced up at Ephram, judging his reaction.  She halfway expected him to make a crack about what a jerk Colin was.  She couldn't have blamed him if he had. 

            "I'm sorry," he said instead.

            "What?" she asked, surprised.

            "I said I'm sorry.  I know you care about Colin and I'm sorry you had a fight with him.  But, I mean, I'm sure you'll work things out.  There's no need to beat yourself up about it."

            "What makes you so sure we'll be able to work things out?"

            "Well, from what I've heard.  You and Colin have been together for a while.  You're like Mr. and Mrs. Everwood.  Couples like you and Colin don't just break up."

            Amy wanted to agree with him, but surprised herself when she suddenly felt the urge to argue against what he was saying.  "I'm not so sure . . . Things are changing.  I don't understand it, but Colin and I are growing apart."

            "When did that start to happen?"

            Amy considered the question.  When _had_ she and Colin started to grow apart?  She glanced up at Ephram and realized it was right about the time the Brown's had arrived in Everwood.  That notice made her worry.

            "I don't know.  It's been happening for a while, I guess."

            "Well, sometime's people do just grow apart.  There's nothing you can do about it Amy.  You just have to trust what's in your heart . . . or something like that," Ephram muttered, looking embarrassed by what he had just said.

            Amy laughed lightly, "Yeah, I guess you're right."  _'The only problem is, I have no idea what my heart is telling me'_ she thought, frustrated.  

            The two sat in companionable silence for a while when Amy suddenly looked up, "Ephram?" she said softly.

            "Yeah?" he said, glancing up.

            "How come you never told me about your Mom?"

            Ephram looked startled for a second but quickly recovered, "I didn't think you'd appreciated hearing about my problems.  Besides, I knew you'd hear about it eventually."

            "Yeah," she whispered, not able to understand why it bothered her so much that Ephram hadn't felt comfortable sharing his problems with her.

            "So, who told you?"

            Amy looked up at Ephram, sadness in her eyes.

            "Ah, so you saw my Dad's freak show today at the festival," he said, laughing bitterly.

            "I'm sure you're Dad's just going through a lot.  It must have been so hard on all of you."

            "Yeah, well don't waste your pity on him.  He doesn't deserve it," Ephram said coldly.

            Amy wanted to asked Ephram why he had such harsh feelings towards his father, but didn't want to push him.

            "Ephram?" she asked again suddenly.

            He looked up at her in response.  

            "I . . ." Amy suddenly forgot what she had wanted to say.  She couldn't seem to pull away from Ephram's hot gaze.  His dark eyes looked like they were simmering.  Amy's senses were screaming, and she knew she should look away, but she felt like she was stuck . . . powerless against the effect he was having on her.

            Amy didn't know what made her do it.  Maybe it was the fight with Colin, maybe it was learning about Ephram's mother, maybe it was just their growing friendship, or maybe it was just because of all the emotions surrounding them, but whatever the reason was, she did it.  She leaned forward, closing the small gap between she and Ephram, and kissed him lightly on the mouth.

            Even as Amy told herself not to, she felt herself deepening the kiss.  She felt Ephram start to respond and move closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her up against him.  She snaked her arms around his neck and buried her hands in his unruly hair, loving the feel of it.  She kissed him frantically, heat spreading quickly throughout her limbs.

            God help her, she didn't want to stop.  And that's when she did.  She pulled back, a horrified expression on her face.  Oh God, what had she done?

            "Amy -" Ephram started.

            "No, I'm sorry.  I, I - I need to go."  Amy jumped up and quickly started down the path, refusing to look back at Ephram when he called out to her again.  

            Once she was a fair way down the path, Amy let out a strangled sob.  God, when did things become so confusing?  Even as she told herself the kiss was a mistake, and it meant nothing, she couldn't control the rapid thundering of her heart and the shaking of her hands.  Ephram's kiss had had a hell of an effect on her, whether she wanted to admit it of not.  

            _'Listen to what your heart's telling you,'_ she thought to herself with an ironic smile, _'Fat chance'_.  She had no idea what her heart was telling her.

A/N: Well there ya go.  I hope it was okay, please PLEASE review and let me know if this story is worth continuing.  Also, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story so far - those reviews were the main reason I decided to continue this.  Well, I guess that's all from now - hope ya enjoyed it.


	6. Hidden Messages

Chapter Six: Hidden Messages

~Ephram~

                                                                                                           December 5, 2001

            _It's really amazing how quickly you can go from being absolutely ecstatic to having your whole world suddenly turned upside down . . . you're heart thrown in the dirt and stomped on.  Okay, maybe I'm being a little melodramatic right now, but I'm honestly too depressed to care.  It's been three weeks since Amy kissed me.  It's also been three weeks since Amy has spoken to me.  It seems like it was 3 hours ago.  The first week, I was so happy it didn't matter the look of horror that had been on Amy's face when she had pulled away.  I mean, Amy Abbot, the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on, had kissed me.  It was all I could think about.  The second week, reality started kicking in.  I started to worry that maybe kissing Amy was going to ruin our entire friendship.  And since she's really the only friend I have here in Everwood, that could be a problem.  But still, she had kissed me!  I was still too happy to be overly concerned that she was obviously avoiding me.  Then the third week rolled around.  Amy still hasn't spoken to me.  I'm really starting to get worried ... and pissed off.  My happiness is starting to fade, and I'm thinking, "Wait, I didn't do anything wrong here.  _She_ kissed _me_, for crying out loud!'  Of course, I probably should have thought it through a little better before I decided to point that little fact out to her . . ._

_            Did I mention what a bad day I had?_

*****

            Ephram squinted against the bright morning light and groaned when he saw what time it was.  He had set his alarm clock 15 minutes early, and he was still going to be late for school.  Muttering to himself, he rummaged through the kitchen cabinet in search of a pop tart, or a granola bar. He quickly came to the conclusion that there was nothing edible in the house, and decided he would just have to wait until lunch to get something decent to eat.  That is, if you call County High's cafeteria food decent.

            "Why the hell is it so bright in the morning, anyway?" he muttered to himself, heading towards the front door.

            "You know, Ephram, most people enjoy the sunshine in the mornings.  Helps them wake up, start the day," Andy Brown said with a cheerful smile, rounding the corner and entering the kitchen.

            "Well, I guess I'm just not most people," Ephram replied, opening the front door.

            "Do you think we could talk for a minute?" Andy asked.

            "I'm already late."

            "I know, it's just you seem a little off lately.  You're not really acting like yourself."

            "And you would know this how?" Ephram said, not quite believing his father's nerve.  How the hell would he know what Ephram usually acted like?

            "It's just . . .  Never mind.  You're right, you need to get to school.  But if you ever want to talk . . . " Andy left the invitation open, smiling at his son.

            "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," Ephram said with a sarcastic smirk.  Shaking his head he stepped outside into the frigid Colorado morning, slamming the door shut behind him.  It would be a cold day in hell before Ephram decided to confide in the great Dr. Brown.

*****

            "And there inlays the brilliance of Shakespeare's works.  His capability to entwine romance, tragedy, comedy, and so much more into a variety of masterpieces that have somehow been able to endure through centuries of changing styles in literature and theory is quite an accomplishment . . . Don't you agree, Miss Abbot?" Mr. McLeod said.

            Ephram glanced over in surprise to where Amy was very obviously staring out the window.  She jumped at the sound of her name, her blank face quickly coloring with embarrassment.  Ephram frowned, wondering what was wrong with her.  Mr. McLeod's unit on Shakespeare certainly wasn't the most fascinating topic, by far, but it was still unusual for Amy not to paying close attention, taking notes, making comments . . . living up to her perfect reputation.  Now that Ephram thought about it, Amy had been acting kind of distracted lately.  Of course, he had no idea what was wrong with her.  She had been avoiding him ever since the little "incident" at the Fall Thaw Festival.

            "Wha- I," Amy started, "I'm sorry, What I mean to say is . . . Shakespeare . . . wow, umm, definitely . . .  a smart guy," she finished lamely.  Snickers were heard around the room.

            "Really, and can you defend your opinion, Amy?"  Mr. McLeod said, vague amusement on his weathered and friendly face.

            "Well, he is credited with some of the most timeless pieces of literature ever written.  He wrote about things hundreds of years ago that we can still relate to our lives today.  I definitely wouldn't call him stupid."

            There was more laughter, but Amy smiled this time.  The color in her cheeks began to fade and she started to look more comfortable.  More like the Amy that Ephram was used to seeing.

            "I mean, take for instance what we're reading now, Romeo and Juliet.  You said yourself it's considered to be one of the less complex and more well-known of Shakespeare's plays, which is why it's selected for freshmen read.  But even Romeo and Juliet is full of all these complex ideas that naturally appeal to people.  People love reading about a love that is truly worth dying for.  The theme of eternal love is something that's never really going to die out, and I think Shakespeare knew that."

            "Well, I think he was an idealistic old romantic who most likely wrote his plays trying to make a living, not a legacy," the words slipped out of Ephram's mouth, and the room fell deadly silent.  He hadn't meant to make the comment, but once he had said it, there was no taking it back.  He realized it was probably one of the first opinions he had willingly offered up since he had been at Country High.  Maybe that's why everyone was looking so surprised.

            Mr. McLeod opened his mouth to reply but Amy beat him to it, "That's an awfully cynical thing to say," she said quietly.

            "Well it's pretty quixotic to think that Shakespeare was really trying to make a point of saying, 'Hey if you really love someone, it's okay to kill their cousin, their fiancé, cause your mother to supposedly 'die of grief', and commit suicide.'  I mean, hey, it's all for the cause, right?  You're going to be together for eternity in heaven, anyway."

            "You're getting to caught up in the details, Ephram.  Sure, Shakespeare probably made all those people die to add to the drama effect, get people interested.  But when you look at the big picture, the whole story is really pretty simple.  It's just about two people who loved each other enough to make the ultimate sacrifice," Amy sounded emphatic in her statement.

            "Do you really believe such a love exists?" Ephram said, his stare boring into her wide, clear eyes.

            "Do you really believe it doesn't?" Amy shot back, defiance in her gaze.

            _'I don't know Amy . . . I don't know anything, anymore,'_ Ephram thought, confused and frustrated.  The room lapsed into silence, and it wouldn't have taken a rocket scientist to figure out that Amy and Ephram had been arguing about more than Shakespeare.  The truth was, though, that Ephram didn't really know _what_ they had been arguing about.  He had just felt the urge . . . no, the _need_, to prove some point to her.  Now he was just more confused that ever.

            Ephram shook his head at Amy, silently telling her he wasn't going to reply.  He slid back down into his usual slumped position.

            Amy sighed, and slowly the room turned back to where Mr. McLeod was leaning against his desk, an smug look on his face.

            "Well, Amy, Ephram, you both make very interesting points.  I must say, that was the most rousing debate I do believe I've ever had on Shakespeare in this class.  I'm sure you're strong points of view will make writing your essays so much easier," Mr. McLeod smiled at the collective groans that were heard around the classroom, "But now, I'd like to take this opportunity to talk more about the Renaissance Festival that's coming up in a few weeks.  I believe I mentioned earlier that all the Honors English classes are going to be responsible for performing a skit from one of Shakespeare's plays, and we're responsible for Romeo and Juliet."

            The class nodded obediently. Ephram began to tune out. . . he had already spent too much energy on this class, and the last thing he cared about was the stupid Renaissance Festival.  Everwood had too many damn festivals, and it wasn't like he was going to volunteer to be in the stupid skit anyway . . 

            "Now, I realize that I'm probably not going to get too many volunteers to be in the skit, and for this reason, I've decided to make it mandatory.  You've all already been assigned some role, either acting or backstage.  I was a little worried about my casting decisions, but after today's lesson, I think the skit will be a grand success.  I've posted a list on the back door.  Make sure to check it on the way out.  Our first meeting will be next week after school." 

            The bell rang, and Ephram stood up gathering his things.  He noticed the kids swarming around the list on the back door, and promptly headed for the front one.  It wasn't like he was going to get an important role anyway.  If Mr. McLeod wanted his little skit to be a success, then he would stick Ephram in lights or scenery or something like that.  

            He had just stepped out into the hall when he heard his name float out of the classroom.  He stuck his head back through the doorway, and saw Amy motioning towards him.  Curious he walked towards her, "Yeah?" he asked.

            "I think you might want to see this," she said pointing to the list.

            Ephram glanced at the paper on the door, reading the top two names on the list.

ROMEO MONTAGUE                                  EPHRAM BROWN

JULIET CAPULET                                        AMY ABBOT

            Ephram shook his head, not believing Mr. McLeod would be stupid enough to stick him with the lead role.  "Well, this is just great isn't it," he said, glancing back up.

            He looked up just in time to see Amy disappearing out the front door.

*****

            Ephram pushed open the heavy front doors of Everwood County High, relieved that the day was over.  He started walking towards where he had parked his bike, when he suddenly noticed Amy talking to Colin.  His gaze promptly darkened.

            He knew Amy had make up with Colin about whatever fight they had had at the festival.  But every time he saw them together, it still made him mad.  One, because he was jealous, but more importantly, because Amy deserved so much better than Colin.  He was such a jerk . . . and Amy just didn't deserve to be treated that way.

            He started to ride away, but then changed his mind.  If he and Amy were going to have to do this whole _Romeo and Juliet_ thing, then they needed to get over whatever awkwardness that was obviously between them.  He waited until Colin had walked off, wincing when Amy kissed him on the cheek, and then walked over to her.

            "Amy," he called.

            She looked back, startled.  She tossed her long hair over her shoulder, "Ephram, hey."  She looked more than a little uncomfortable.

            "Could we talk?" he asked.

            "I'm not so sure now is a great time," she said, waving at a random girl who walked past.

            "Well, when will be a good time?  After three weeks, I'm starting to think that time isn't coming," Ephram said, careful to keep his voice low.

            Amy's head shot up, "Can't we please just forget that?" she asked, sounding almost desperate.

            Ephram shook his head, trying not to feel hurt.  He already knew Amy regretted the kiss, none of this should come as a shock.  "Okay, so you want to forget it?  Fine, it's forgotten.  I just don't understand why you're avoiding me.  As far as I'm concerned the kiss never happened, so why can't we just be friends again?"

            Amy finally stopped walking, and turned to give Ephram her full attention.  He was surprised to see how distressed she looked.  "Ephram, you don't understand.  I just  . . I don't think being friends is such a great idea anymore."

            "What?" he said, suddenly angry, "Why are you being like this.  You're acting like I did something wrong.  Well, newsflash, Amy, I haven't done anything.  You kissed me."

            "Would you be quiet!" she said, her voice a fiery whisper.  "Look, Ephram, I'm sorry it had to be this way.  You'll never know how sorry. . . but, you're just going to have to trust me on this.  It has to be this way.  I'm sorry."

            With that she turned, her boots digging into the frozen earth, and walked away as quickly as she could.

            "Well, I think that went well . . ." Ephram muttered to himself.  Climbing on his bike, he headed home. 

*****

            Ephram flung open the door to his house, anxious to be alone in the comfort of his room.  He immediately noticed something different, but was to preoccupied to care.  He was about halfway up the stairs when his father's voice stopped him.

            "Ephram, you're home," he said, something different in his usually cheerful tone, "There's a surprise for you in the kitchen."

            "Well, this may come as a complete shock to you, but I could really care less," Ephram said, continuing towards his bedroom.

            "There's someone here to see you," Andy said.

            Ephram sighed.  He didn't really care who was in the kitchen, but he figured they wouldn't go away until he went in and saw them. Grumbling he receded back down the stairs, shooting a glare at his father.

            "What's that smell, anyway?" he asked, "It smells almost . . ."

            " . . . Good?" a familiar voice supplied.

            Ephram looked up in surprise, "Nonni?  Grandpa?  What are you guys doing here?!"

A/N" Alright, so not my greatest chapter, but I promise that the best is yet to come.  Sorry it took so long for the update *grins apologetically* But anyway, please REVIEW . . . c'mon, you know you want to . . . 


	7. So Long, Romeo

Chapter Seven: So Long, Romeo

~Amy~

                                                                                                                    December 11, 2001

            _Is this really my life?  I feel like I'm caught in some sort of cheesy soap opera.  I mean, come on.  How ironic is it that I'm caught in some stereotypical love triangle?  And yet, even as I tell myself how stupid it all seems, I can't help all the conflicting emotions that are raging inside me.  Colin and I are growing apart.  I realize this and it scares me.  True, we are only fifteen, and the most logical thing to do would be to just break up, and move on.  It's not like it doesn't happen all the time. Kayla just broke up with her second boyfriend this month on Friday.  But this is Colin we're talking about here.  Colin Hart, who has been hanging out at my house for as long as I can remember.  Colin Hart, who is my brother's best friend in the whole world.  Colin Hart, whose parents used to have barbeques with mine.  I mean, how weird would it be if we broke up?  It would change everything, and I'm just not sure if I'm ready to handle that change.  So, I made a decision to try and work things out with Colin.  And the only way I'm going to be able to do that is to stay away from Ephram Brown.  He's the whole reason I'm having these problems anyway.  So, when Ephram came up to me last Monday, and wanted to be friends again, I pushed him away. . . I've been regretting that decision ever since._

_            Ephram's right.  He didn't do anything wrong.  I kissed him . . . he was just trying to be supportive, to be a friend.  He's a wonderful friend, and only an idiot would deny that friendship.  But that's exactly what I did._  _He was willing to forget the kiss, despite the fact I knew that I had hurt him.  He tried to hide it from me, but I could see the pain in his eyes.  I hurt Ephram.  God, I get sick just thinking about it.  And now we have to do this stupid Romeo and Juliet thing.  I can't help but wonder just how I'm going to handle that.  As much as I want to call him, and apologize, I just can't bring myself to do it.  How can I agree to be his friend when every time I'm around him, I can't help wanting more?_

            _I miss him._

******

            ~Amy stood, fire in her eyes, and ice settling in her stomach.  She held her chin defiantly, and refused to let any sign of weakness show.  She obediently made a humble curtsey, her thick and royal gown folding beneath her.  Her long hair swept the dusty floor, and she wished she had taken the time to braid it.  She stood and tried not to gag as the man before her gently took her hand and kissed it softly.  The man before her was a product of his society.  A perfect gentleman with well bred manners, and a perfectly groomed wardrobe.  He was tall and muscled with a strong profile, and darkly handsome features.

            He repulsed her.

            "Happily met, my lady, and my wife!" he greeted her.

            She stopped herself from snapping out a scathing reply.  Instead she quietly said, "That may be, sir, when I may be a wife."  

            The man seemed to take her response as some sign of enthusiasm on her behalf, "That may be must be, love, on Thursday next."

            "What must be shall be," she said.  Her voice remained strong, despite the panic she was fighting inside.  The thought of marrying this man was insufferable.  She would rather die.

            "That's a certain text," said the Friar, and Amy was once again reminded of why she had sought his help.

            "Come you to make a confession to this father?"  The Count asked.

            Amy bristled indignantly.  It was none of his business, and politely told him so.  The conversation continued thus, but Amy's wasn't paying attention.  Inside she was panicking.  How was she going to escape marrying Colin?  She had to find away out of this mess.  She couldn't spend her life with this man. . . it would suffocate her soul.  Would she ever be reunited with her dear, true love?  For surely without her sweet Ephram, her soul was destined to be smothered anyway.

            "God shield I should disturb devotion!  Juliet, on Thursday early will I rouse ye:  Till then, adieu; and keep this holy kiss."

            Amy was startled back to the present when Count Colin leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.  She watched in disgust as he purposely strode out of the Friar's cell.  She turned to the Friar, unable to keep the desperation off her face.

            "O shut the door! and when thou hast done so,  Come weep with me; past hope, past cure, past help!" she cried out.

            "Ah, Juliet, I already know thy grief; It strains me past the compass of my wits:  I hear thou must, and nothing may prorogue it,  On Thursday next be married to this county," the kind Friar said, frowns creasing his forehead.

            _'Wait a mintue,'_ Amy thought in confusion, _'Who the heck is Juliet?'_~

*****

            Amy bolted up straight in her bed, and tried to calm her ragged breathing.  Sweat beaded across her forehead, and she thoughtlessly kicked off her covers.

            "Oh. My. God," she whispered softly in the darkness.  She wasn't big on dream interpretations, and had never placed much importance on them before, but there was no way she could ignore this particular dream.  Or nightmare.

            She was still fighting down Juliet's panic and desperation at the thought of having to marrying Count Paris, and never seeing her Romeo again.  When they had read that scene in class, Amy hadn't paid much attention to it, but it suddenly was taking on a whole new meaning.  She understood only too well the emotions Juliet must have been suffering:  forced to be with one person in body, and yet with another in spirit.

            She was experiencing the same ones herself.  She knew the intensity of the dream was probably making her think irrationally, but she didn't care at this point.  She could still feel Juliet's repulsion at the Count . . .  That count had been Colin in Amy's mind.  Deep down, Amy was just as repulsed by Colin as Juliet was by Paris.

            Her breathing eventually slowed and she lay back down into her soft bed.  She finally acknowledged the one thought she had been trying to ignore.

            Ephram had been her Romeo.

            Amy sighed.  She liked Ephram Brown, and she was no longer in love with Colin Hart.  She softly cried herself to sleep . . . her last thought was that she hoped Ephram would forgive her.

*****

            Amy's resolution to apologize to Ephram the following morning was wavering in the bright Sunday morning sunshine.  After her dream last night, she had been so sure that even though it might be difficult, she wasn't going to be happy until she made things right between she and Ephram.

            And broke things off with Colin.

            But now, standing outside the Brown home, she was beginning to feel her old doubts resurface.  Breaking up with Colin and beginning a new relationship with Ephram was so final . . . and scary.  It would irrevocably change the close friendship she and Colin had shared for so many years.  It would undoubtably alter Bright and Colin's relationship as well.  And there was another reason too.

            Shame welled up inside Amy and she felt her face flush as she realized that she was worried about what her friends might think if she started to date Ephram.  Colin was so popular, so athletic, so charming and funny.  Everyone loved him.  Ephram was such an outcast.  Amy knew she shouldn't care about something like that, and for the most part she didn't.  It was just a tiny worry, prickling at the back of her senses.

            Before she could change her mind, she knocked of the Brown's door.  Her heartbeat immediately picked up speed, and she had the sudden desire to turn around and run.

            The door swung open and Amy suddenly found herself face to face with an elderly woman she had never seen before.  She frowned, confused.

            "Can I help you, dear?" the woman asked.

            "I, um, I was wondering if Ephram was home," Amy said, wondering who on earth this woman was.

            "Amy!" a squeal came from behind the mysterious woman, and Delia was suddenly worming her way out on the front porch.

            "Hi Delia," Amy said, smiling sincerely at the little girl.

            "Amy, this is Nonni," Delia said excitedly.

            Amy looked up at the woman, confusion evident in her features.  _Nonni__?_ She thought.

            "I'm Ephram and Delia's grandmother," the woman explained politely, "It's nice to meat you, Amy."

            "Oh, you too," Amy responded and diligently shook the woman's hand.

            "What's going on over there?"  Amy heard a voice she recognized to be Dr. Brown's, and suddenly saw him peering over Nonni's shoulder.  Behind him was another man Amy could only assume was Ephram's grandfather.  She was blushing profusely.  She had only wanted to talk to Ephram.  Now she had his whole family staring at her.

            "Amy!" Dr. Brown said, "It's good to see you, why don't you come inside."

            Swallowing hard, Amy nodded, and followed the throng of people inside the Brown home.

            "Ephram, someone's here to see you," he called.  Somehow the way he said it made Amy's blush increase.

            "In a minute," was the reply.

            "There's a beautiful girl in the entrance, Ephram.  Get down here now," the man Amy had decided was Ephram's grandfather said.  He then turned to wink at her.  Amy wanted to die of embarrassment.

            His comment got Ephram moving though.  He was soon thundering down the stairs, and when his caught sight of Amy, he suddenly groaned.  Amy hoped it was from embarrassment and not disgust at the sight of her.

            She couldn't help noticing that despite everything going on, her heart still skipped at beat at the sight of him.

            "Hey," he said when he reached the bottom of the steps.

            "Hey," she whispered.

            "Ephram, honey, breakfast will be ready in about 15 minutes.  Why don't you and Amy go talk on the porch," his Grandmother said, "Amy, dear, your welcome to stay for breakfast if you like,"

            Amy nodded numbly, and obediently followed Ephram out onto the porch.  He glanced at her, almost warily, before taking a seat on the porch swing.  She sat down next to him.

            The two sat there for what was probably only a minute, but seemed like an hour, in silence.

            "So, um, I guess your wondering why I'm here," she said, breaking the silence.

            "I'm somewhat curious," he said.

            "Right," she whispered.

            More silence.

            "So are you going to tell me?" Ephram finally asked, and tiny smile at the corner of his lips.

            "This is really awkward," Amy suddenly blurted out.  She cursed herself when she saw his features darken and a frown settle on his face.

            "Well, I'm not the one who made it this way," he said softly.  Odd, but he didn't sound mad. . . just regretful and sad.  Amy wasn't sure which was worse.

            "No, you didn't," she agreed, "Look Ephram, I've been thinking.  It was really wrong of me to tell you that we couldn't be friends anymore.  You didn't do anything to deserve to be treated that way, and I'm really sorry.  It's just . . . when I'm with you, I get confused.  I don't know what I want.  You make me feel . . . beautiful and alive."

            "So what are you trying to say?" he asked.  Amy could see him fighting the glimmer of hope that had appeared in his eyes.

            "I'm saying that . . . " she trailed off.  She knew what she wanted to say, but she was having trouble forming the words.  She wanted to tell him that she was going to break up with Colin.  That she wanted to be with him.  That she was tired of fighting the attraction she had felt from the first day she met him. Instead she said, "I'm saying that I want to be friends again."

            "Friends?" Ephram said, his face going blank.

            _No, No!  Idiot!  _Amy was screaming at herself.  She hadn't meant to say that.  God, why was she such a coward all of a sudden?

            "Isn't that what you wanted?" she heard herself whisper.

            "Yeah," Ephram mumbled, "Friends.  That's what I wanted.  I'm going to go eat breakfast.  I'll see you later, Amy," Ephram stood up and quickly went back in the house, shutting the door before Amy could try and stop him.

            "Dammit," she whispered to herself angrily.  

            Alone, she started to cry.  _'So long, Romeo,' _she thought.__

A/N: *runs and hides from all the angry A/E fans* Don't worry, everything will all eventually work out.  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that chapter, and I would love to hear what you think.  I've decided to start thanking all the reviewers personally, because all their positive feedback means a lot to me.  

Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter 6:

- A fan 

-OnlyHope2007

-crazy4nc128

-trory-goddess (haha - I so agree with you that it is AWESOME when Ephram gets the last word!  I love A&E together, but Amy can be such an, ahem, snit, sometimes that it dries me crazy!  She totally needs to be out in her place every once in awhile.)

-anonymousthinker 

-Faery(Hey - thanks for reviewing : ) I did look over my story, and I have to agree with you that my portrayal of Ephram and Andy's relationship is harsh.  I never meant to make it seem like Ephram hated his Dad, though, and I do intend to involve some of their growing relationship as the story goes on)

-browneyedbabe(Hey - In response to your question about why Laynie isn't in the story, the only thing I can say is that I didn't really see the need to put her in.  The story is supposed to focus on A&E and I figured Laynie would just be a distraction, especially since Colin and Ephram aren't really friends in this story.  Plus, (and maybe I'm wrong about this), wouldn't Laynie still be in Middle School since it's a year earlier?  I'm assuming she's younger than Colin, and in that case, I really don't know how Ephram would really even meet her.  But who knows, maybe I'll put her in at some later point Anyway, thanks for reviewing : )

-IrishHunny-(Wow, it never even occurred to me to put something about 9/11 in my story.  If I could, I would write it in, but at this point I'm not sure if it would even be worth it. I apologize, and I hope you'll continue reading this story anyway : )

-Ditey-

-Abby

Well, I think that's everyone - if I forgot somebody, I'm so, so sorry!*


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